Bidders in the UK's spectrum auction have now sorted out who's going where, and who's going to knock out our TV reception once the 4G networks get switched on.
There were two bits of spectrum auctioned off: the low-frequency 800MHz band, which was freed up when analogue terrestrial TV was switched off, and the higher-frequency 2 …

If you don't know much about Radio Frequency Digital communications you shouldn't post comments on the matter. Three already has spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band for Data. It is struggling to provide services in rural environments and hence the 800 MHz spectrum is ideal for that.

Re: and so will likely suffer more than the rest

For those of us less technical.....

....assuming that the relevant mobild carriers will operate in my area, does this mean just a retune of our current freeview kit or its possible obsolesence? I ask simply as I'd been about to splash out on a TV, possibly spending extra for an integral Freeview HD tuner and want to know if it might all need to be replaced or supplemented sooner than I'd normally hope for.

Re: For those of us less technical.....

If you buy something with integrated freeview HD then you're sorted for the time being. The only time this issue is likely to arise is if you're using an amplifier on your TV antenna. If you are using an amplifier, stop because it most likely isn't doing you any good at all unless it's on the mast or you're using it for distribution.

Re: For those of us less technical.....

Opt for an LCD TV (not plasma!) with a DVB-T2 receiver and native 1920x1080 resolution, then you can receive High Definition - assuming your local transmitter is supporting it?!

There are a couple of ways you can experience interference, other than the usual blocking and pausing (my aerial is a mere 2.5km from Sandy Heath, which transmits 220kW, yet my TV and DVR still experience drop-outs!). If a 4G operator enables a tower (or builds a tower) that your aerial can see, the powerful signal (I say powerful - it's all relative to the power of your local TV transmitter(s)) may blind your receiver to the TV transmitter. Yagi aerials (used for TV) typically have a +/- 15 degree acceptance angle, so even if it is pointed dead-on to the TV transmitter, a nearby tower within the 'acceptance angle' could still cause a problem. Think of trying to look at a torch in the distance whilst some yob shines a laser in your eyes.

The other problem could come from a nearby 4G tower in your local area. As we are talking about milli-metric wavelengths (a quarter-wave at 800MHz is ~93mm), there is always the possibility of pick-up on the co-axial cable, or the aerial itself; even if it's pointing in the other direction.

Both of the problems above can be exacerbated by a wide-band aerial (possibly fitted to cover both analogue and digital transmissions) and/or an amplifier-splitter. Aerial amplifiers are often wide-band, covering Band II VHF (87.5 - 108.5MHz), Band III DAB (220 - 240MHz), and both Band IV and Band V TV (400 - 800MHz). A strong 4G signal could overload the amplifier and cause it to parasitically oscillate (poorly designed models can do that all of their own accord!). Result: no signal!

We have no real way of knowing if the 4G roll-out will affect few, or many. As Ofcom have no technical expertise, and have farmed out domestic radio and TV interference problems to the BBC, I am sure people are going to be left scratching their heads staring at a black mirror.

Re: For those of us less technical.....

Apples and Pears

Three are also more likely to suffer from interfence from TV equipment. And despite the fact that the TV broadcasts will bleed into Mobile more than vice-versa it will be the mobile companies that get the blame...